Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-10-06

much TO endure the motion Of rail
way travelling
sAt Rrst he hid from me al that he
could OF his illness; but when be saw
that Ee only made me more anxious
he allowed me to nurse him, to be
with him at all times, and very soon
became dependent upon my care. III
can never be too grateful for the fact
that in the three years that followed
that summer / was really the one COM
fort OF my dear fathers life, and it
was the knowledge that | might be-
come SO that saved me from sinking
into state of despairing misery. when
l was first convinced Of nv lovers
treachery.
4 had given him the first pure love
Of my heart, and / was not one who
could change. More than once, since
that time, have won love, though |
can honestly say without any coquetry
Of my own; but / have never been able
to feel again the devotion and tender
ness / gave to Henry Somers.
For three years, as | have said, |
devoted my life to my father. By the
advice of his physicians, we went
abroad, visiting all the principal towns
wintering in Spain or Italy, and
spending the summers in Scotland
and Norway Your father and moth
er had returned, and it was to their
home that we came at last, when we
knew that there would soon be fatal
termination to the long, lingering
illness my father had borne SO patient
ly.
}tIn all this time, Hattie, / have
never once heard of Henry Somers.
nor did l meet him or anyone who
knew him for many years later.
Il was in Manchester visiting an old
friend, some years after my fathers
death, when one morning, in looking
over some photographs in her posses
sion, ! found one that for moment
made me dizzy with the rush of
memory it awakened. It was large
photograph Of two gentlemen standing
in easy attitudes, with the same face
and figure.
'sThis is one of those double photo
graphs, ] said. lis 1T not7 The same
person taken in two positions on one
plateY
Mrs. Hunt, my friend, took the
card from my hand
ssOh, no, she said; that is my
husbands partner and his twin
brother
II thought your husbands partner
was Mr.. Browne
ssIt is now. Horace Somers died
l-oh, ten years ago, at least. Poor
fellowl he was killed in steamboat
explosion, and left widow and two
children beautiful boys. I was with
Mrs. Somers at the lime the news
came, and ! could not leave her. She
clung to me, and depended upon me
for everything. Her husband i
brother--this one, pointing to the
photographers abroad at the time
Horace died had been there for
several years--and Helen, Horace's
wife, had never seen him.
He Us sent for to take charge Of
his brothers affairs, and consented
1 to remain with Helen until he came.
She was such helpless, child like
! little thing, it was positive cruelty
to leave her alone.
/ But | shall never forget the scene
when Henry arrived. We were all in
| 1Helens sitting.room, when / heard
4 her give d terrible cry, and looked W
as she fell on the floor in q dead faint
4 Standing in the doorway was hel
husbands brother, or, as it seemed in
, the first started moment, his ghost
and the children clinging to him, and
shouting sPapal' in perfect ecstasy
!, And, my dear, those boys could no
be persuaded to call him anything
else.
ssPoor Helen, after the first start
ling surprise was over, sremembere et
/, perfectly having heard Horace tell o
|, the resemblance that had often puzzl
|. ed even their parents; and in time
j think It was a comfort to her, but ti,,
boys could not be coaxed to say uncle
or convinced that their father had no
returned. And Henry Somers dit
not seem to mind it when they insisted
slupon calling him papa for Ion!
i time. ,
He was the kindest of brothers t
j Helen, and very fond of his littl
E nephews; but she was not long a wild
+ ow, and her second husband lives il
vi New York, so have not heard of he
7 for years.
/ And Henry Somers?' asked
2 What became Of him2'
3 He lives here, in London. Stay
I ing here, at first, to be with Helen an
take charge Of his brothers aEairs, b
/ found q business opening and settle
81 here.
lis he married?' + asked.
s sOh, yes; though he was Ion
I time o bachelor. / thought, year .
3 two after he came here, that he ha
I. some disappointment, be was SO AYERS
TO ladies society, and seemed asif Ii
s. .L...ll1 X. Ii u - ~. D,.A~ IL y.